Criteria for Registration

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Criteria for Registration

The NZ Teachers Council shall register you for registration if satisfied that you

are of good character and fit to be a teacher; and
are satisfactorily trained to teach; and
are or likely to be a satisfactory teacher

and for full registration or renewal of a practising certificate have;

4. satisfactory recent teaching experience

Good Character and Fit to be a teacher

The Council will take the following matters into account in deciding whether an applicant is of good character and is fit to be a teacher. The applicant:

has a police vet satisfactory to the Council;
displays respect for persons, for cultural and social values of Aotearoa New Zealand, for the law and for the views of others;
upholds the public and professional reputation of teachers;
promotes and nurtures the safety of learners within his or her care;
is reliable and trustworthy in carrying out duties;
is mentally and physically fit to carry our the teaching role safely and satisfactorily.*

The Council may also take into account any other matters that it considers relevant in the circumstances.

* In considering this criterion, the Council will distinguish between any mental or physical condition that affects an applicant's ability to carrry out the teaching role satisfactorily, and any disability that an applicant has that does not impact on that ability. The Council is aware of its obligation not to contravene the Human Rights Act 1993 by unlawfully discriminating against any person.

Satisfactorily trained to teach

The NZ Teachers Council may take into account any relevant matters. It must take into account:

Qualifications, and
Satisfactory completion of training recognised by the NZ Teachers Council.

Satisfactory Recent Teaching Experience

Satisfactory recent teaching experience, means within the previous five years you will have had either :

An uninterrupted period of employment of two years (or some shorter period or periods approved for the person) in a teaching position (or positions)in the general education system; or
A period of employment of two years (or some shorter period or periods approved for the person) in a position (or positions) that (or each of which) was in the NZ Teachers Council's opinion equivalent to a teaching position, in an approved educational institution in New Zealand.

TRACK 1

For New Zealand and most overseas teachers applying to be registered in New Zealand for the first time or those re-applying to be registered after their New Zealand registration has expired.

A teacher is "satisfactorily trained to teach" if they provide documented evidence of a pre-service teacher education qualification from an approved teacher education provider in New Zealand recognised by the NZ Teachers Council for teacher registration purposes; or, if an overseas qualification, assessed by NZQA as equivalent to the New Zealand qualification and recognised as comparable and appropriate by the NZ Teachers Council.
For a list of currently approved New Zealand teacher education providers and qualifications please check the TEACHNZ website. http://www.teachnz.govt.nz.

Experienced teachers from overseas may be registered with either a provisional or subject to confirmation status on first application.

For non New Zealand graduates, a certified copy of all qualifications (academic and teaching) and certified official course transcripts plus a New Zealand Qualifications Authority evaluation is required.

Evidence may be required of English language proficiency (both oral and written) for teaching where qualifications and/or experiences have largely been in a non-English speaking situation, you will need to meet the Teachers Council language proficiency policy. Click here for the policy details on language proficiency.

TRACK 2 REQUIREMENTS

If you are an international applicant and do not hold an approved teacher education qualification your application for registration may be considered by the Teachers Council under the discretionary pathway of Track 2. You will need to provide supporting documentation for your application to be considered by the Council as a package.

All information you submit will be assessed together as a package so the more relevant information you can provide the better the package will be. You should provide documentary evidence that demonstrates you meet the fitness to teach criteria and evidence of your competence against the satisfactory teacher dimensions. The material you submit should specifically address these criteria and dimensions.

The following information needs to be provided with a completed TC0 application form :

1. A New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) assessment report of your qualifications

These should be appropriate tertiary qualifications relevant to teaching in the New Zealand early childhood or compulsory education system and teacher education qualifications acceptable for teaching in the public education system in the country of origin.

2. Certified copies of the transcripts for each of your qualifications

Please also provide details of the practicum component of your teacher education including the length of practicum component, the age of the learners and the type of institution where this practicum was completed.

3. Teaching Service

Evidence of all teaching service should be provided. If you have any significant gaps in teaching service, please explain these. You should include details of any senior teaching positions that you have held and of the types of institutions where you have taught (statements of service from the employing authority are preferred).

4. Language Proficiency

Evidence that you meet the Council's current language proficiency criteria - please refer to the Language Proficiency policy on our website http://www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz/policy/language.stm

5. Appraisal and Induction

Evidence of a supervised programme of induction or mentored teaching. Evidence of appraisal documention, lesson observations, performance management documentation/reviews relating to recent teaching experience (usually within the last five years).

6. Professional Development

Evidence of continuing education and/or professional development. This should be a documented list of workshops, seminars, in-house training and courses which you have undertaken since gaining your initial teacher education qualification.

7. Support from Professional Leaders

This should be in the form of testimonials or references (on official letterhead, signed and dated) which specifically relate to the Satisfactory Teacher Dimensions, and Fit to be a Teacher Criteria. These testimonials should be written by the Principal, or Centre Manager in the case of Early Childhood Education Centres, and in addition testimonials from Senior Teachers can be considered. These should be recent and up to date (usually within the last 10 years).

8. A copy of your current Curriculum Vitae can be helpful.

When an application is considered in this way there can be no prior assurances given about the final outcome. The Council makes the decision to approve or declined a Track 2 application. When an application is declined, there is provision in section 126 of the Education Act 1989 for an appeal to be made by you directly to the Wellington District Court.

Registration Officers are not in a position to predict the decision of the Council. Each application is considered as an individual case and all material is reviewed thoroughly by a Subcommittee and then the full Council.

A person is not able to be employed in a teaching position without registration or authorisation from the Teachers Council. We do stress to teachers that there are risks in accepting teaching positions in New Zealand and making firm arrangements to immigrate to New Zealand before the application for registration has been considered by the Council.

Please note:

In providing the above information numbered 1-8, please organise the information under the headings given.

Deadlines

The Council considers these applications at its monthly meetings. There are strict dealines for material to be provided by in order for your case to be considered at a meeting. If you are not able to provide the documentation in time for the next monthly meeting then your application will be deferred to a later meeting when we have received the required documentation.

Documents

Please provide certified copies of original documents. We will not return original documentation.

Presentation

Please do not send information in sleeved folders or bound booklets. We photocopy all relevant documentation and submit all of the cases to Subcommittee members and then Council members well before the meeting date.

DISCRETIONARY PATHWAY

This is a pathway for applicants with New Zealand qualifications and teaching experience who do not meet the requirements for registration under the normal provisions of Track 1.

The Council will consider these applications on a case by case basis. The applications will be considered as a package and the Council will take into account the background and circumstances surrounding why the application is being considered under this pathway and additional supporting information provided by the applicant.

Applicants should provide the following information to support their application, the relevance of which is dependant on why this application is being considered under this discretionary pathway.

The following information needs to be provided with a completed TC1 application form;

1. Certified copies of the transcripts for each of your qualifications

Please also include any other documentation from the awarding institution that may be relevant to your qualification(s). Where there is a question about inappropriate entry or RPL (recognition of prior learing) onto an approved programme, specific information from the provider about the circumstances and decision made of the entry/RPL should be supplied.

2. Teaching service

Evidence of all teaching service should be provided. If you have any significant gaps in teaching service, please explain these. You should include details of any senior teaching positions that you have held and of the types of institutions where you have taught (statements of service from the employing authority are preferred)

3. Appraisal and induction

Evidence of a supervised programme of induction or mentored teaching. Evidence of appraisal documentation, lessson observations, performance management documentation/reviews relating to recent teaching experience. In most cases, it would be expected that there is relevant teaching experience in the last 5 years.

4. Professional Development

Evidence of continuing education and/or professional development. This should be a documented list of workshops, seminars, in-house training and courses which you have undertaken.

5. Support from Professional Leaders

This should be in the form of testimonials or references (on official letterhead, signed and dated) which specifically relate to the Satisfactory Teacher Dimensions, Registered Teacher Criteria and Fit to be a Teacher criteria. These testimonials should be written by the Principal, or Centre Manager in teh case of Early Childhood Education Centres, and in addition testimonials from other Senior Teachers can be considered. It is important that most of these are recent and up to date ie: within the last year.

6. A copy of your current Curriculum Vitae can be helpful

When an application is considered in this way there can be no prior assurances given about the final outcome. The Council makes the decision to approve or decline an application. When an application is declined, there is provision in section 126 of the Education Act 1989 for an appeal to be made by you directly to the Wellington District Court.

All teaching positions in New Zealand schools, state integrated or independent, require registration or authorisation from the Teachers Council. Approved teaching qualifications and registration are required increasingly by those employed in teaching positions in early childhood settings to meet the targets of the early childhood strategic plan.